Dream a Little Dream
(US); (UK) | Production =10201 | Writer =Steven Rae | Director =Ian Watson | Guests =Steve Jacobs (Ja Rhumann), Sandy Gore (Judge), Simone Kessell (Finzzi), Marin Mimica (Dersch), Peter Kowitz (Tarr) | Episode list = | Prev =Home on the Remains | Next =Out of Their Minds }} Zhaan recounts Moya's time without John, Aeryn, and D'Argo and an ordeal they faced. Synopsis This episode begins just after Moya was forced to starburst away from the asteroid field following the destruction of the Gammak Base, leaving Crichton,Aeryn, and D'Argo stranded. This time, events play differently from before as after D'Argo loses consciousness Aeryn finds herself under heavy fire from Peacekeeper forces. Unable to shake them off, she is killed when her Prowler is destroyed. Crichton doesn't get time to mourn as the visor on his EV suit shatters exposing him to the vacuum of space... Zhaan suddenly wakes up from her nightmare, aboard a malfunctioning transport pod with Crichton trying to fix the problem... only to find Rygel left food in the engines and the damage is so bad they'll have to wait to be picked up. When Crichton starts singing "Dream a Little Dream", Zhaan says that she was and tells him that she keeps seeing him die and asks him if he knows what happened on Litigara. Crichton tells her than Chiana and Rygel didn't want to talk about it, so she decides to tell him the tale. They searched for 20 solar days on every planet that Aeryn could possibly have reached in her prowler. Everyone was very worried, and Moya was anxious to start looking for Talyn. The final planet they came to was Litigara... In a bar on Litigara, Zhaan asks the barman if he's seen two Sebaceans and a Luxan, but he hasn't. Rygel is drunk and Chiana is playing with the locals. Zhaan grabs them and leaves, calling Pilot who says that Moya is demanding they return so she can continue the search for her offspring. Zhaan goes to cross the road when the light indicates that she can, but she is hit by a vehicle. Police come and arrest her to Chiana and Rygel's objections, saying that she'll pay for her crime... Pilot tells Chiana that Moya is ready to leave and she must tell Zhaan. Chiana goes to see Zhaan. She says that she shouldn't have come, when Zhaan's lawyer appears. He says that she can expect the minimum sentence – ten solar days. Chiana suggests getting another lawyer and he says they're welcome to try; over 90% of the population are lawyers. Zhaan tells Chiana that she and Rygel must get out of here and then she attacks her lawyer. A man called Ja Rhumann is speaking to a man over the comm. and says that even though it's not safe for the man to be out that night, they've found the perfect subject. Meanwhile, back in her cell, Zhaan sees Crichton, D'Argo, and Aeryn come up to her to get her out of the cell, but before they do they disappear; they're hallucinations. Hallucination-Crichton comes through the bars and sits next to her. She says that she wishes he and the others were there because she's alone and afraid and she needs them; Rygel and Chiana are like children and without the others she can't be responsible for everyone. Crichton's image vanishes when a woman comes up to her cell and opens the door, giving her a map to the transport. She says the guards will return soon, so this is Zhaan's only chance to escape. But as Zhaan runs and sees Rygel and Chiana, she trips over a dead body and the police arrest her again – only this time the charge is murder. Her lawyer says that the man she killed was a rising advocate for the utilities; the 10% of the population who aren't lawyers. The charge is that she murdered him with her bare hands, although because of his radical ideas about the law nobody's too cut up about it. When Chiana asks what happens next, he says that in three solar days she will be executed! In court, Rygel explains to Chiana that Litigara is run by law firms, and the one currently in power is run by Ja Rhumann. The judge is about to give the verdict, when Zhaan asks if it matters that she is innocent. She says that she is guilty of many evils but this is not one of them. Her counsel says that it was not discussed and he will not represent her in a plea of not guilty. The judge says that she can't change her plea without representation, so Chiana objects. Zhaan tells her to return to Moya, but she and Rygel say they'll represent her, which the judge allows. Later, Chiana tells Rygel that if they fail, they share the same punishment as the client. Chiana and Rygel are in the bar researching, when a lawyer has a go at one of the bar staff. The barman tells Chiana that he's a lawyer, and it's his right. That's why Wesley Kenn, the man who was murdered, was so important as he was fighting for utilities' rights. He says that their law system wasn't always complicated, and gives them the "Axiom" – the book that all other law books are based on. He says that it's the only book they really need. Aeryn is now in Zhaan's cell (another hallucination), and asks why Zhaan left them. Had she waited a few microts they would have all been back. Back in court, Zhaan confesses and says she's guilty. As the judge is about to sentence her, Rygel steps in and says that her counsel does not concur with the guilty plea and Chiana insists that she be gagged. The judge agrees and the trial proceeds. Rygel and Chiana cross-examine various witnesses, including the officer on patrol, who says he found Zhaan kneeling over the murdered body. Later in the bar, Chiana tells Pilot that they need more time, but he says that Moya will only give them one revolution of the planet. Chiana notices the officer who arrested Zhaan who has a burned face. The bartender says that he has blue eyes and that it was a dual full moon the other night. Litigarans with blue eyes usually stay in because it burns them. Chiana goes to "speak" with him and says they're pleading guilty tomorrow before fishing for information. Rygel asks the bartender about the "Light of Truth" mentioned in The Axiom and he says that it goes back to the very origin of the law – a burning torch that burns brighter when held up to someone meant that they were lying. Rygel gets an idea and shows the barman a picture of the murdered man. In court, Chiana is suffering from a hangover, so Rygel gives her some pills to help, but she takes them all and they make her hyper, forcing Rygel to take over. He asks the doctor about the burn that blue-eyed Litigarans get from a dual full moon. Chiana then asks the officer why he was burned but not the victim. The officer reveals that he used to work as security for Ja Rhumann's law firm. After the session, Pilot tells Chiana that Moya is not listening and is about to leave. As Chiana walks on, she gets caught in an electrinet and is taken to Rhumann. He threatens her to stop her line of questioning or he says she will be faced with charges, false charges. He says that it's all about utilities' rights, and her comms is destroyed. He says that she won't return to the ship unless he allows it. Zhaan is being strapped up when she sees D'Argo, who encourages her to take up the Delvian Seek again, saying she is the strongest individual he has ever known. Meanwhile, Chiana returns to the cell, where Rygel is with Zhaan. Chiana uses his comms to contact Pilot, who says that Moya has chosen to give them more time, as her comm. was open the whole time she was speaking with Rhumann. Rygel says that he thinks they can win, but it will involve lashings of deception and trickery. In court, Chiana calls Rhumann to the stand, and talks about the oath they take with their hand on The Axiom. Rygel asks him, under oath, what he knows about the murder. He says that he knows no more than any ordinary citizen – namely that Zhaan did it. Chiana breaks a chair and designates one of the legs the light of truth. Rhumann says that it's a parable, but Rygel says it says so in their most sacred book. Chiana says that it's ordinary wood, but near a witness under oath, it reacts with special properties. Chiana lights it and asks if finding an off-worlder to blame the death on would benefit his firm and he agrees, hypothetically speaking. Rygel says that the victim didn't get burned and Chiana adds that the victim must have been killed somewhere else and brought to the alley knowing Zhaan would be there. He says hypothetically, yes. Rygel tells Pilot "now" under his breath and Chiana asks if he's speaking hypothetically. Rhumann says yes, but Moya projects light and with each lie the light gets stronger. Rygel asks if the judge will believe a guilty man or the symbol of her world. She orders Rhumann arrested and drops all charges against Zhaan. Back in the present, Zhaan tells Crichton that they left immediately following the case and found them soon after, but despite this she keeps seeing them die even though they live. She says that the experience showed that her spirituality was lacking, but he says that since she recommitted herself to the Seek it may have been worth it. Moya arrives to pick them up and Crichton asks Zhaan if she's OK. She thanks him for his compassion and he thanks her for hers. Memorable quotes * :Chiana: You little toad! You had to go and fart helium now? :Rygel: I'm nervous, it happens. We're in court, so sue me! * :Rygel: Buy ya a drink, beautiful? :Zhaan: Getting dren-faced is not helping, Rygel. :Rygel: Well, it's helping me! * :Rygel (To Chiana): How could you not tell me that? I...I thought we might even pull this off. But you and me, not lying? Are you mad? * :Rygel: I think I may have a way. It's chancy, and will require lashings of deception and trickery. :Chiana: Finally, you and I get to play to our strengths. * :John: You okay? :Zhaan: I think so. Thank you for your compassion. :John: And I thank you for yours. Background information * This episode was originally entitled "Re:Union" and slated to open up season two. This was changed, however, and "Mind the Baby" became the season premiere. A new beginning and end were filmed to make the episode a flashback and moved to the middle of the season. * Three major changes were made to the original episode for this version: an opening sequence in which Zhaan and Pilot comfort each other in their stress over the loss of Aeryn, John and D'Argo is cut, as is the original epilogue which established Zhaan's reentry into being a Pa'u. In addition, the original version of the episode had Rygel having the nightmare with John's head exploding. * The episode fills in a few blanks with regards to events in "Mind the Baby", specifically explaining why Zhaan spends most of the episode in an apparent trance, what Chiana was referring to when she mentioned a trial, and why Zhaan initially thought she was hallucinating Crichton when he returned (as she had hallucinated him in prison cell). * The sequence of Crichton, D'Argo, and Aeryn walking in silhouette is one of Claudia Black's favorite images from Farscape. ( ) * According to Ben Browder, none of the singing scenes in this episode (nor in the rest of Season 2) were in the script. ( ) * After Browder adlibbed the title song, "Dream a Little Dream of Me", during filming, Ian Watson suggested that the production get the rights to use the song. ( ) * Gigi Edgley was unable to complete her scenes in due to being required back on the Farscape set to film this episode. ( ) * Watson thought that the episode was originally going to air between a rerun of "Family Ties" and be followed by the premiere of "Mind the Baby". ( ) * Virginia Hey described the episode as "a mixture of every type on TV – drama, science fiction, a thriller. It's a cartoon; it's comic strip; it's a comedy. It's ''Farscape." ( ) * The writer Steven Rae is a pseudonym of Rockne S. O'Bannon. ( ) * The original version was aired on Sci-Fi Channel on and is included in 2009 DVD release. ( ) * This script "''was one of the first four scripts that we wrote," according to O'Bannon. "In fact, it was actually the script that sold the series originally. Rod Perth at the Sci-Fi Channel was looking for scripts for sci-fi shows and somehow had gotten the script for ''Space Chase through my agent, who was also his agent. However, they hadn't sent him over the pilot script. They had sent a couple of the other ones, and the original version of "Dream a Little Dream" was the first one he read. It was a very funny, loopy episode about a planet completely made up of lawyers. He really liked it, so he called up and asked if there was a pilot. So they sent over the pilot, and he read that and decided to buy the show." ( ) * The script ended up having no place in the first season, so decided to use it early in the second season when the production moved studios. O'Bannon said "''It was also intended to be the first episode of the season. We were changing stage space from Fox, and for the first episode we wouldn't have ''Moya or any of the other standing sets, so we needed an episode that took place in sets that we could build anew and didn't have to be permanent." He continued to note that changing the scenes not on Litigara changed the emphasis of the story significantly. "''The script itself got kind of distorted because of the requirements of the backstage production stuff. The tone of the original script obviously was 'here we are on this jokey lawyer-planet,' but the show had moved into a move 'real' direction than that – a kind of stylized show that didn't wink at the audience saying, 'isn't this funny? They're all lawyers.' We tried to doctor it that way." ( ) * Claudia Black was happy that it didn't air as the second season opener saying, "you would have been asked to meet a lot of guest characters in the first episode of the season when really the audience's heart is in a different place. ... It would have been too removed from where the tension had been left with the audience in "Family Ties"." ( ) * The scene of Chiana cross-examining the arresting officer who found Zhaan over the victim's body was originally much longer. In addition to pointing out that the moon-burned officer who arrested Zhaan for the murder was blue-eyed, and that it was strange he would be abroad on the night of a double full moon, it revealed that the victim also had blue eyes, yet was not burned. Chiana then draws an admission the man may have been killed elsewhere (indoors) or was already dead before Zhaan was found over him, and cast doubt on the state's case that she killed him during her escape. However this plot point was largely cut, and instead Chiana's cross-examination focused solely on the arresting officer's burn. The uncut version was in the deleted scenes on the original DVD release. Links and references Starring * Ben Browder as John Crichton * Claudia Black as Aeryn Sun * Virginia Hey as Zotoh Zhaan * Anthony Simcoe as Ka D'Argo * Gigi Edgley as Chiana Guest stars * Steve Jacobs as Ja Rhumann * Sandy Gore as Judge * Peter Kowitz as Tarr * Jeremy Callaghan as Bartender * Marin Mimica as Dersch * Simone Kessell as Finzzi Guest cast * Dean Nottle as Policeman * Jessica Wilcox as Prison Guard Puppeteers * Tim Mieville * Sean Masterson * Graeme Haddon * Mat McCoy * Mario Halouvas Voice artists * Jonathan Hardy as Rygel * Lani Tupu as Pilot References "amet"; arn; Axiom; BBQ; blez; calorics; comms; cycle; Delvian; Delvian Seek; Disneyland; DRD; "Dream a Little Dream of Me"; dren; electrinet; frell; Gammak Base; Helium flatulence; Human; Hynerian; Keedva; Kenn, Wesley; Light of Truth; Litigara; Litigaran; Luxan; marauder; microt; midmeal; Moya; nashtin cleansing pill; nav linkage; Pa'u; Peacekeeper; Pilot's den; prowler; public counselor; Rhumann, Willian, and Mandell; Scorpius; Sebacean; solar day; starburst; Talyn; telemission; television; transport pod; TV ministry; Utilities; yotz External link * Category:Season 2 episodes